LyondellBasell sets 45% allocation for US BD in March

29 February 2012 23:10[Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--LyondellBasell will allocate US butadiene (BD) supply at 45% in March as a result of planned maintenance at its Channelview complex in Texas, the company said on Wednesday in a letter to customers.

LyondellBasell has 390,000 tonnes/year of BD capacity in Channelview.

BD production will be idled in March along with a planned stoppage at a cracker at the site, the company said.

LyondellBasell has two crackers in Channelview, each with 873,000 tonnes/year of capacity.

The company plans to take one of the units (OP-1) down for a seven-week turnaround.

The second cracker (OP-2) will also go down but only for two weeks, the company said recently in a conference call.

Maintenance was expected to begin at the end of February, but it was unclear on Wednesday if the units were in the process of being shut down.

A LyondellBasell spokesperson confirmed plans for a turnaround in Channelview, but declined to provide further details.